Electronic commerce (“e-commerce”), the buying and selling of products and services over the Internet has flourished with the widespread availability of Internet access. Online retailers (also referred to herein as “e-tailers”) may be a traditional brick and mortar retailers with a physical presence such as a store where customers can shop in person that also have an online store. Customers may purchase products or services from both the retailer's brick and mortar stores and the retailer's online store Other online retailers maintain an online presence only and customers purchase goods or services from the online retailer's online store.
Customers select products or services that they would like to purchase, and the products and services are “placed” in an electronic shopping cart or shopping basket. The electronic shopping cart allows users to accumulate a list of products or services for purchase while browsing an online shop. A typical electronic shopping card also enables the customer to initiate an electronic payment transaction to pay for the selected goods or services. Online purchases are typically funded through various types of electronic financial transactions, such as through credit card or debit card transactions.
Many online retailers offer products and services that appeal to children, but children do usually do not have a credit or debit card with which to purchase these items. Instead, a child typically must ask a parent or guardian or a close relative, such as a grandparent, to go online and purchase a desired item for the child. Conventional online payment systems do not provide a mechanism for a child to request that parent or other related party pay for desired item for the child.